"It'd be best to strike a deal with Renette to obtain the relevant items. Otherwise, I'd have to hunt members of the Rose School of Thought or stir up trouble with some demon family. It's a pity Tolzna has already been corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire; items related to Him would've been ideal…"
Alaric mused, feeling a slight pang of regret. The previous two sequences used items tied to Kings of Angels, so settling for ordinary Sequence 2 materials now felt somewhat imperfect.
"No, I can't get cocky! Besides, it's not like there's no opportunity…" Alaric muttered, his mind flickering with potential plans. However, he wasn't in a rush to act, as he was still far from advancing to Sequence 7.
Setting aside thoughts of advancing to Sequence 7, Alaric eagerly turned his attention to testing his new abilities.
With enthusiasm, he fetched a mirror. After washing his face, he gazed at his naturally flawless features and began making subtle adjustments.
A few minutes later, a striking man with night-black curly hair and golden eyes, radiant as sunlight, emerged. Through Alaric's tweaks, his features were now more mature. While his original appearance suggested a man in his early twenties, the adjusted look aged him to around thirty, with sharper angles and a hint of world-weariness in his eyes.
"Not bad. This looks only about fifty percent like the original me…" Alaric nodded in satisfaction. He then grabbed some cosmetics and skillfully applied them. In no time, the man in the mirror, who had still borne some resemblance to Alaric, became someone entirely different... someone who wouldn't be linked to him even under close scrutiny.
Alaric carefully selected an outfit from his wardrobe suited for a mature gentleman. After putting it on, he produced a pair of gold-rimmed glasses from somewhere and slipped them on, adding a refined yet roguish charm to his appearance.
He then pulled out an ancient, mysterious-looking notebook. Holding it open in one hand, he adjusted the glasses on his nose with the other, nodding approvingly at his reflection.
Raising an eyebrow at the mirror, Alaric flashed a playful, teasing smile. He snapped the notebook shut, gave a slight bow to his reflection, and said with a grin, "Greetings, Mr. Alaric. I'd like to invite you to be the protagonist of a new script. How about it?"
Then, reining in the playfulness, he gave his reflection a warm, radiant smile. "Is there a chance, Mr. Lucifer, that I'm already the protagonist?"
That's right... Alaric had crafted the appearance of "Lucifer Zoroast."
As for the rest, it was the persona Alaric had written for "Lucifer Zoroast." In this persona, Lucifer was once a transmigrated youth who wanted nothing more than to live a quiet life. Unfortunately, he crossed paths with Amon, and though he escaped Amon's clutches, the encounter "corrupted" Him, turning him into a full-fledged Joker and thrill-seeker.
Of course, to keep the "Lucifer" persona from becoming a villain, Alaric set some moral boundaries, making him a Joker with a conscience.
The existence of "Jack Jones" in the persona served as the thread keeping "Lucifer" from falling completely. "Jack Jones" reminded Lucifer of his past as a youth with principles, a fellow displaced soul from the same era who became Lucifer's last shred of conscience. It fit the trope perfectly, didn't it?
"I hope the Qilangos incident hasn't been butterflied away. After all, it's the perfect stage for Lucifer Zoroast's grand debut and my first performance as an Actor…"
Alaric chuckled, thinking of something amusing, then stretched lazily. "But before that, joining the Tarot Club is the priority. I hope Miss Justice moves quickly... I can't wait to obtain the Fool's honored name…"
His expectations weren't in vain. Just two days later, Alaric received an invitation from Viscount Glaint. The viscount invited him, along with Fors and Xio, to discuss occult knowledge at his home. In return, Glaint offered to let them explore his family's library.
It was a perfectly reasonable invitation. As someone half-stepping into the extraordinary world but still a novice in occult matters, it was only natural for Glaint to seek knowledge from seasoned occultists like Alaric. In exchange, the Glaint family, with its long aristocratic lineage, likely had rare books on hidden knowledge and history in their library... perfect as compensation for someone like Xio or Fors.
If Alaric hadn't already suspected something, he might not have guessed that this invitation was orchestrated by Audrey.
Naturally, Alaric accepted the invitation with enthusiasm. He joined Xio and Fors at Viscount Glaint's villa, where they shared a wealth of extraordinary knowledge with the viscount. Thoroughly satisfied, Glaint led them to his family's library.
"You're free to browse the books here, as long as you don't damage them. If you find something you'd like to borrow, just let me know in advance." Viscount Glaint said generously.
Alaric and the others happily agreed, then dispersed to explore the library for books that piqued their interest.
"Let's see… Where would Audrey hide the Fool's honored name, given what she knows about 'Jack Jones'?" Alaric's gaze swept over the rows of book titles on the shelves, finally settling on one.
... "The Rise and Fall of the Solomon Empire in the Fourth Epoch"
Alaric stepped forward, picked up the book... clearly recently handled... and began flipping through it with mild interest. Soon, he found a slip of paper tucked between the pages.
Feigning surprise, Alaric curiously examined the paper. It contained a few lines, seemingly excerpted from a page of Emperor Roselle's diary, though the content was oddly disjointed. Below that were a few lines written in Hermes script.
Alaric pretended to study it intently, muttering under his breath, "The Fool that does not belong to this era; the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck? Oh!"
He froze, eyes widening, as if only realizing what he'd read after reciting the full honored name. Belatedly, he clapped a hand over his mouth, glancing around nervously.
***
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